The Vikings made it back-to-back wins for the first time since May with a battling 24-20 win over Halifax Panthers at the Shay.
Allan Coleman’s side secured a vital two points in the hunt for the playoff places as a Ryan Ince try ultimately proved to be the difference between the sides.
The Vikings roared out of the blocks taking a 6-0 lead after Sam Wilde flicked an offload to Lloyd Roby before our fullback found Keanan Brand to cross out wide.
Wilde and Roby linked up once more as the latter took another offload to extend the Vikings’ lead to 12 points.
Tom Gilmore then made it three tries inside the opening 30 minutes as he gathered his own deflected kick to cross out wide.
The hosts came back in the final ten minutes scoring two tries before halftime through James Woodburn-Hall and Ben Crooks to make it a 10-18 scoreline in the Vikings’ favour at the break.
Halifax started the second 40 the stronger as they hit back further, crossing under the posts through Jouffret to reduce the deficit to two points.
The comeback was then complete as Saltonstall crossed out wide after a kick to give the hosts a 20-18 lead with 25 minutes to go.
However, Allan Coleman’s Vikings would not lie down, after wrestling back momentum in the game, a penalty for a late hit on Max Roberts saw Gilmore slot a penalty goal to tie the scores.
The ensuing kickoff sailed out on the full which gave the Vikings possession in the Halifax 30, an opportunity that was taken in clinical fashion as as Ryan Ince dove in at the corner to restore the advantage.
Halifax piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes and looked to have knicked it through Jouffret however a phenomenal defensive effort from Jordan Johnstone and Max Roberts denied him to secure a huge 24-20 win for the Vikings.
We turn our attention to a huge clash with Bradford Bulls next Sunday at the DCBL Stadium, tickets are available to purchase HERE
COACHES COMMENTS
Head Coach Allan Coleman said: “I’m absolutely over the moon, I’m lost for words. I’m so proud of every single one of them.
“What a group of lads we’ve got. I’ve said since day one that we’ll always be a team that gives everything and we showed that again today.
“Good teams don’t go away, they have things go against them but they never give in.
“We might get beat because teams are better than us or we play dumb rugby but we’ll never get beat for effort.”
TEAMS AND SCORERS
Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall, Saltonstall, Barber, Crooks, Graham, Jouffret, Keyes, Fairbank, Johnson, Boyer, Kavanagh, Lannon, Nicholson-Watson
Interchanges: Tangata, Davies, Inman, Littlewood, Hird (18th)
Tries: Woodburn-Hall, Crooks, Jouffret, Saltonstall
Goals: Jouffret x2
Widnes Vikings: Roby, Butt, Bardsley-Rowe, Brand, Ince, Lyons, Gilmore, Field, Johnstone, Murray, Lloyd, Wilde, Roberts
Interchanges: Fozard, Green, Wood, Bailey, Owens (18th)
Tries: Brand, Roby, Gilmore, Ince
Goals: Gilmore x4
